Gadget Fu: the CO.ALITION Colfax

“The Evolution of Carry is always evolving…These days, we believe that your bag should do more than just carry things, it should be as advanced as the technology it carries.”.

This is one of the first sentences in the CO.ALITION company description. Why aren’t the means by which we carry as technologically advanced as the things we’re carrying? CO.ALITION has offered a simple solution to that. Their new project, the Colfax, is claimed to be integrated with technology aimed to support the devices we carry.

The Colfax has many features, beginning with a charging dock inside. The dock is described as having the capability of charging “both the integrated power supply and your device at the same time” on one wall outlet cord. This cord is built into the bag, but has an external pocket easy to access without having to go into the bag. The power supply also has “computerized smart charging”, which means it can calculate how much power your device needs to charge safely and quickly, and the remaining power goes to power supply itself. This feature is used when you are plugged into an outlet, so when you’re on the go and ‘off the grid’, you are still able to charge any devices. This also means the charging dock features button-less operation- you don’t have to turn anything on to charge. Just plug in your phone and a sensor forces the block to start sending the juice. Additionally, the charging station apparently provide ups to 2 full phone charges when not plugged in. There is a lithium polymer battery that can store unused power for weeks, and has an LED light to indicate the power status. To protect the power source and your devices, not only is the bag itself water resistant but it also comes with a “Pack Slicker” rainfly to keep everything dry.

This bag is, according to CO.ALITION, compatible with nearly every device. This includes travel printers and scanners, radios, lights, headlamps, GPS units, digital/video cameras, MP3 players, GOPRO (and other video units), and of course the typical smartphones, and tablets (or phablets).

The next feature is quick wireless access to all your media and files without an internet connection. Basically its a personal cloud service that is also with you and allows you to go “off the grid” and still have access to your stored documents, music, etc. The bag broadcasts its own WiFi network, so you can also wirelessly stream files and information to your devices up to 150 ft. away. This eliminates the need for an external WiFi connection or using up your data (that most likely either costs too much or just sucks). The button to turn your WiFi on and off is located in a clear window on the outside of the bag, where you can also view the charge level and wifi status. You don’t have to go digging for this either.

Two outdoorsy college graduates from Colorado initially build and grew the company MHM, which is recommended for its “comfort, innovative features and fresh aesthetic take on outdoor packs”. While this company grew quickly, and still remains strong, Jeff Popp and Casey Lorenzen decided to branch out and design more urban packs, using the “heritage” they had to build MHM packs. CO.ALITION was the product of that.

The Colfax is currently a project on Kickstarter. They have several different levels of prizes for any giver. You can check out what CO.ALITION is about and what they have to offer on their Facebook or their website.